


Follow On My Path

by bunnymaccool



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Red Riding Hood AU, Shapeshifting, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-30 00:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1011892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnymaccool/pseuds/bunnymaccool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel is a wolf without a pack, without a home, without hope. One day he crosses paths with a man in a red hood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Follow On My Path

**Author's Note:**

> Adding some older works to my AO3 account. (^_^)

The damp earth sank just slightly beneath his paws as he skirted the edge of the path. He was far too conspicuous with his white pelt to edge too close toward the jogging trail. The University campus was fairly large and spread out, but there seemed to be an extraordinarily large amount of health driven students constantly running, biking or walking through the dense woods. 

It often made Castiel curious … did these young people never consider that there may actually be animals in these trees? _He_ was here, after all, and mountain lions and bears couldn’t really be that far away in the plush green hills surrounding the school. Yet these young people trotted along the mountain paths without a care in the world. It puzzled him. 

He was currently trailing behind a young woman on a mountain bike that smelled deliciously of the sandwich she had tucked away in her small pack. It hung loosely from her back, and he was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump across the path and snatch it from her. Hopefully he could do so without causing the girl to fall off her bike. 

He was starving… but he wasn’t _cruel_. 

For now he remained the white shadow of a ghost silently stalking just out of sight. 

They were coming to a bend in the trail that could possibly afford him the seconds he would need to steal the bag away, when a flash of red in the distance gave him pause. There was a jogger coming in the opposite direction, his bright ruby hoodie practically sparkling in the dim woods. Castiel stuttered to a stop behind a large boulder and took a deep whiff of the air. 

This new person smelled … _delightful_. Not of food or sweets, but a clean masculine warmth not smothered with cologne or that dreadful body spray half of the male student body drowned themselves in. He took another lungful of air and immediately felt his worrying hunger fade to the background. Belatedly, Castiel realized his tail had begun to sway slightly from side to side. 

The girl on her bike had completely vanished by the time the red-hooded jogger passed Castiel’s position. The man had an old, weathered backpack strapped tight to his shoulders that may have once been a deep olive green. Castiel managed a silent about-face and began to trail behind this new curiosity. The warm, earthy scent of the man had his insides practically twirling in glee. 

There was something very _special_ about this human. 

Only once during the three miles back to the trailhead had Red Hood stopped to drink some water he’d pulled from his pack. Castiel had noticed the man slowing almost too late and skidded to an uncharacteristically noisy stop. The human had instantly glanced towards the side of the trail to seek out the cause of the rustle. 

From his hidden crouch, Castiel was pleasantly surprised by the face under the hood. Practically perfect features, with large jade eyes and a lovely dusting of freckles across the pert nose and flushed cheeks. The man would have almost been _too_ pretty if not for the faint, roughened creases around his eyes and mouth. Obviously a life that had seen its fair share of stress and the cruelty of fate. 

Castiel knew the marks well. They used to stare right back at him from the mirror. 

Lost in thought, he almost missed it when Red Hood resumed his brisk jog through the woods. The sun was beginning its slow decent behind the trees and the path was darkening. Castiel hadn’t seen another human for several minutes, and suddenly decided to risk discovery in order to gain footing on the much easier trail. He hopped effortlessly over some tall shrubbery and matched his speed to Red Hood a dozen feet ahead of him. 

Loping along at a fairly relaxed pace gave him the opportunity to eye the man’s backside. Encased in soft-looking black sweats that were perhaps a size too small, it was obviously well-rounded and firm. Red Hood kept a steady pace without wavering, so he was clearly in very good shape. Castiel was just beginning to ponder what manner of delicious body may be hidden under the hoodie when the man in question screeched to a sudden halt and whipped around to face him. 

Castiel froze in shock. He was almost positive he hadn’t made a single sound to give himself away. Red Hood’s eyes widened almost comically and he barked out a cry in the empty woods. 

“HOLY SHIT!”

There was a measure of fear in the words, and Castiel imagined it was likely very scary to suddenly find yourself being followed by a large white wolf in the middle of a casual jog. Instantly he dropped to his belly in the path, crouching low and flattening his ears back in the most innocent ‘ _who me?’_ expression he could manage. 

Red Hood was obviously struggling with fight or flight responses inside his own mind. Castiel laid his head down upon his front paws and just waited to see which instinct would win out in the man. After only a couple moments of silence, Red Hood seemed to have calmed himself and gathered his wits about him. Castiel was obviously not trying to be threatening or attack the lone man. He hoped sincerely not to scare the human away. 

Finally, Red Hood tilted his head to observe Castiel cautiously and spoke in a soft, smooth voice. 

“Hey there boy … what … what are you doing following me, huh?”

 _Oooh… what a lovely voice._ Subconsciously, Castiel’s tail swished a bit from side to side. He raised his head up from his paws and perked up his ears in a friendly manner. Red Hood glanced around the path for a second before rubbing a hand down his face in obvious indecision. 

“You … you are a _wolf_ , aren’t you, boy? Never seen a dog look like- … _Jesus fuck_ … what do I do?”

A cold surge of despondency washed over Castiel. He hadn’t meant to scare the handsome man so, but it was obvious he had. He should have remembered that nothing in his life ever went the way he hoped it would. Moving slowly to stand, Castiel dropped his head a bit in shame, silently apologizing to the man before him. 

The shrill burst of a cell phone ring erupted into the silent wood. Castiel used the opportunity to feign being scared and darted back into the safety of the undergrowth. He didn’t move off far, however, instead camouflaging himself by same pale, rotting trees and listening in to the distant conversation. 

“SAMMY!! Holy shit! You’re never going to believe it! There was a wolf! This giant white wolf! And he was following me on the trail!”

The voice moved away and Castiel had to scramble to catch up with Red Hood as he was quickly making his way out of the trees and towards the University campus. 

“No! No. He didn’t attack me! He just crouched down and … stared at me. Kinda wagged his tail a bit and listened to me talk to him.”

There was a brief pause before Red Hood snarled a bit into the phone.

“Yes I was talking to it. Shut the fuck up, Sammy.”

Castiel chuffed in amusement and darted ahead to the nearby head of the trail to watch the man leave. Approaching from the side of the closest building was an extremely tall younger man, also speaking on the phone. The two met up and exchanged greetings, but they were too far away from the tree line for Castiel to keep himself hidden enough to follow. He watched Red Hood disappear in the distance with a forlorn tugging in his gut, and a painful roll of his empty belly. The opportunity to score that sandwich would cost him in the long run, but the chance to meet Red Hood would at least warm his heart for the time being. 

He trundled off towards the dumpsters at the edge of the dorm parking lot, hoping to find anything to assuage his hunger. 

****

It was several days before Castiel saw Red Hood again. He was stretched out in a small patch of sun several yards away from the path doing his best to ignore the clenching ache of his empty belly. A warm familiar scent drifted by in the air and had him on his paws as quickly as he could manage. Trotting slowly to conserve his dwindling energy, Castiel approached the trail cautiously. 

A deep whiff of the woods surrounding him informed him that Red Hood was coming down the path exactly as he had done days before. Scooting closer into the undergrowth on his belly, he waited for a tell-tale flash of ruby cloth. It only took a few moments for the familiar form to appear. Dressed exactly as he had been before, Castiel watched eagerly as the man rounded the bend and jogged closer. 

Throwing a bit of caution into the wind, Castiel slowly rose to his feet and made himself visible to the human on the path. He perked his ears up straight and tried to embody a smile with his canine features. Red Hood slowed to a stop only twenty feet away. There were several seconds of silence as wolf and man eyed each other warily. Castiel with the bitter end of a dying hope for acceptance. Red Hood with likely an astonishing amount of unease. 

Castiel chuffed softly in the muted evening air. Red Hood took a deep breath before slowly resuming his way up the path. 

“Hey, boy. You still here, then?”

In answer, Castiel hopped delicately out of the undergrowth and onto the path. He stumbled a bit in the landing and cursed himself for showing an obvious weakness. When his gaze returned to the human, Red Hood was chewing on his plush bottom lip in thought. The startling green eyes were darkened with concern and it lit a small flame of warmth in Castiel’s gut. 

“You … don’t look so good, boy. Not enough furry woodland creatures around here to support you?”

Castiel was tempted to try rolling his eyes. There were plenty of mice and rabbits and squirrels… and perhaps if he were a _normal_ wolf he could survive quite happily in these woods. However, slaughtering small creatures and feasting on their raw, bloody flesh had never really appealed to him. Not like other members of his family that delighted in the act. 

Red Hood was suddenly shrugging out of his pack and kneeling on the path. Castiel tilted his head in interest as the man rummaged through the bag. A brief waft of meaty deliciousness filled the air and his stomach warbled loudly. 

“Sammy would kill me if he knew … not supposed to feed wildlife or whatever, right? Teaches them that people mean food. But you just … you just look so _hungry_.”

The recognizable sound of plastic wrap echoed slightly off the trees surrounding them, and then Red Hood was holding a giant roast beef sandwich in his palm. Castiel couldn’t even muster the energy to hold back the whimper that escaped him. He took a tentative step forward, unsure of what the next move should be. _He_ knew that he wouldn’t attack the human, but Red Hood _doesn’t_ know that and was taking an awfully big risk offering up his food this way. A normal starving wolf would likely rip the man’s hand off to get the meal. 

Red Hood must have realized the error of his actions. He shook his head and muttered curses under his breath before tossing the sandwich towards Castiel. It landed directly in the middle of the distance that separated them. Castiel took another step forward. He was so desperately starving, but didn’t want to startle this man in any way. 

“Go on, boy. I know you want it.”

It spurred him into action and in less than twenty seconds Castiel gobbled down the meat and bread whole. His belly cramped a little at the sudden onslaught of food, but it’s a pain he’s definitely willing to pay. Red Hood grinned at him as he quickly re-packed his bag and settled it back onto his shoulders. 

“Hope that gets you to your next meal, fella.”

Castiel swished his tail back and forth several times, hoping it conveyed his message of thanks. Red Hood cautiously side-stepped around him and slowly continued up the trail, making sure to keep his head turned and watchful gaze on Castiel. He doesn’t blame the human, of course, one should never turn their back on a wild animal. 

Castiel waited for a few seconds before he turned and began to follow at a leisurely pace. There’s a chance that he’ll end up scaring the man away eventually if he keeps approaching him, but Castiel was willing to take the gamble. He’d been a ghost for so long. Years have passed with no form of contact or conversation and he can fully admit he’s indulging himself with Red Hood. The look of compassion in the man’s eyes was a siren’s song after Castiel’s long solitude. 

The head of the trail was approaching and a soft breeze brought the scent of Red Hood’s _‘Sammy’_. The other man most likely waiting at the outskirts of the parking lot as he had before. Red Hood began to jog slowly toward the edge of the woods, still keeping an eye on Castiel, who followed sedately. 

Just before the woods thinned out and disappeared Castiel came to a stop in the middle of the trail. Red Hood cast one last glance his way before he was out of Castiel’s line of sight. The muted thumps of his worn sneakers striking the dirt drifted away until the only sounds Castiel could hear were the evening crickets and his own panted breaths. 

****

He makes a bed for himself in a rotted tree with a clear view of the trail head for the night. Belly now pacified for a bit, Castiel was curious how long Red Hood stays when he visits his Sammy, and decided to wait for the man. 

The night was a cool one. Brisk air whipping through the woods with the promise of winter quick on it’s heels. Castiel shivered a bit against the chill, but he’d been forced to spend much colder nights with no shelter to fight off exposure to the elements. So the hollow tree stump is practically a four star hotel in comparison. 

He dreams that night of giant roast beef sandwiches the size of an economy car. He eats himself sick in his dream before laying down to sun himself in emerald green grass. The long stalks tickle his skin and Castiel realizes that he’s in his true form. A flicker of red darts across his peripheral vision and just that quickly Red Hood stands above him, face split in a warm smile. The man opens his mouth to speak…

“Dammit, Sammy! Move your ass!”

Castiel startled awake so suddenly he nearly tumbled out of the tree. The sun had yet to crest over the horizon, but the skies had lightened enough to see the surrounding woods. A small splash of red flashes at the head of the trail. 

_Red Hood._

Immediately Castiel scrambled out of his bed and loped cautiously toward the path. The gentle breeze gifts him with the scent of his new favorite human accompanied by the afore mentioned _‘Sammy’_. Their voices are easily picked up in the still quiet of the morning. 

“Dean… I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

_Dean._

_Red Hood’s name is Dean._

Castiel momentarily wishes for human lips so that he could try the name out with them. He thinks he would like the feel of it washing over his tongue and between his teeth. He crouched down behind a thick growth of saplings to eye the two men entering the trail. 

“I’m telling you, Sammy, he’s awesome! Like, huge! And completely white, but with the super bright blue eyes. I’ve never seen a wolf with blue eyes, have you?”

Sammy sighed dramatically and Castiel swishes his tail at the sound. This new human smells like books and smudged ink. Castiel rather liked him instantly. 

“And exactly how many wolves have you seen in your life, Dean? Besides, if it is still here … we should probably report it to animal control or something.”

Perhaps Castiel didn’t like Sammy as much as he first considered. 

“Aw, don’t be like that, Sammy. He’s real nice. You’ll see.”

Sammy scoffed but dutifully followed Dean closer to Castiel’s hidden location on the trail. 

“I’m sure you’ll think he’s nice when he’s ripping your face off.”

Dean cackled loudly and it echoed in the dense trees. Castiel chuffed lowly and imagined himself laughing along with the man. 

“He wouldn’t do that.”

“Sure.”

Sammy’s petulant pout warmed a small spark inside Castiel’s chest. These men had to be brothers. The cheerful banter and mild-spirited attempt at insults practically declared their relation with a megaphone. For a brief moment Castiel thought of his own brothers, but quickly pushed those unhappy memories aside in order to concentrate on the humans currently in his presence. 

Dean stopped in the middle of the path and suddenly whistled shrilly. The sound reverberated off the packed woods and straight up Castiel’s spine. He shivered against the trill noise and cocked his head slightly. _Seriously? Did the man really think-_

“He’s not a dog, dumbass.”

_Back to liking Sammy now._

Dean rolled his eyes dramatically and threw his hands up in the air. 

“I know that, bitch … what else am I supposed to do? Call _‘here wolfy wolfy’_?”

Delight hummed up from the pads of his paws to the tips of his ears. What a wonderful duo these two men were! So immensely entertaining. And smelling of a million warm things that Castiel longed for desperately. On the trail Dean sighed and shifted anxiously. 

“I hope he’s okay.”

A giant yawn broke free from Sammy’s overly large body. Castiel had to fight to keep from reciprocating the act. Sammy stretched tall for a second, arms reaching high into the air, before good-naturedly patting Dean on the shoulder. 

“It’s a wolf. It can survive without you. Trust me.”

Dean shrugged absently, but didn’t respond. Sammy rolled his eyes and turned to head back towards the University campus. 

“I need to get some more sleep before my exam. Be careful and send me a text when you get home.”

Dean made a barely there noise of acknowledgement before tightening the straps of his pack and starting a slow jog down the opposite direction. Castiel watched Sammy disappear for a moment before quickly jumping onto the trail and following Dean at quite some distance. He’d never ventured too far from the campus on this particular trail, but he was very curious to see where Dean came from. 

The morning was still cool and silent as Castiel listened to the cadence of Dean’s feet and the pant of his breath. He tried to stay as far back as possible. This time he didn’t want to tip the man off with his presence. He just wanted to observe and consider. There was a very interesting dynamic that Castiel could sense between Dean and Sammy. He just knew in his gut that they were brothers… but what kind of brother visit’s the other at University several times a week? And why wouldn’t Dean be going to school, too? He didn’t appear more than a handful of years older than Sammy. And they spoke to each other with a barely there air of co-dependence in their tones. 

_Did they not have anyone else but each other?_ A cold spike of sadness lanced through Castiel’s chest. If that was indeed the situation, then he and Dean would have something very large and vital in common. However, Castiel sincerely hoped that Dean would never lose his only remaining family as Castiel had done his. 

Melancholy slowed his stride and weighed down his head, but he remained focused on Dean’s moving form in the distance. They’d moved further into the woods than Castiel had ever gone. The scents in the air were changing around him and he tried to pick out the individual smells. Rubber and asphalt meant they were nearing a highway, but he couldn’t yet hear the roar of vehicles, so not that close. 

There were the cloying, sticky scents of fast food fryers getting ready for their morning clients. And somewhere nearby a sweet, fresh waft of dryers working overtime at a Laundromat. He couldn’t really say why, but something in the olfactory information bombarding him was hinting that they were moving into an area of town that wasn’t as well off as the University campus. 

The trees began to thin out around him and several meters in front Dean was slowing to a walk. A coppery tang of rust and aged metal trickled its way up Castiel’s nose, and just that quickly Dean was leaving the woods and coming up to a rickety chain-link fence. The clang of the latch echoed in the early morning stillness as the man closed the gate behind himself. 

Castiel waited for several moments before approaching the fence and peering inside. At first all he could make out were the abstract shapes of dozens upon dozens of wrecked and junked out cars stacked haphazardly around. A junkyard. 

He left the gate and trailed along the side of the barrier. Eventually he could make out the top of an old two-story house deep in the guts of the salvage yard. A flash of red in the distance told him that Dean was not heading towards that structure, however. Castiel darted silently along the fence, following the man’s movements. Finally he watched the familiar red hoodie disappear in an old silver airstream trailer at the very edge of the mess of metal. 

_So this was where Dean lived._

It saddened Castiel for some reason. The air was thick with sorrow and a sense of defeat. He hoped it wasn’t Dean that was wallowing in these heavy emotions. The man seemed cheerful enough every time Castiel had come across him. It made him wonder, though, if that may be a façade for the benefit of Sammy. 

****

When it became obvious that Dean wasn’t coming out of his little trailer for a while, Castiel began to venture around the area. Once he’d cleared the several acres that made up the salvage yard, he could smell himself drawing closer to the Laundromat and some small bar and grill. He rounded the dumpster behind the aged building and was shocked to come face to face with an attractive woman smoking and kicking at the trashcans. 

They both froze upon seeing each other. The back door to the bar was propped open with a metal folding chair behind her, and Castiel watched as she slowly backed towards it. He had instinctively crouched down to prepare for anything, but he wasn’t sure what he should do at this point. Probably a good idea to run, but something was freezing his paws to the ground. 

“Jo! … Jo! … grab me the shotgun … come out slowly.”

Right … well … now would be a really good time to go, then. He started scooting backwards quickly without taking his gaze off that doorway. A sudden noise erupted behind him. 

“Whoa! Shit!”

Castiel spun around to find Dean standing not ten feet away dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans. The snap-click of a shotgun being loaded made him whirl around towards the woman again. A young blonde girl was looking aghast in the doorway, cordless phone gripped tight to her ear, but Castiel only had eyes for the double barrels pointed directly at his face. 

“Whoa! WHOA! Ellen! Put that away! He won‘t hurt you!”

The older woman scoffed and spoke without breaking her gaze away from Castiel.

“Dean, sweetheart, I know you’re dense sometimes … but that’s no puppy dog standing there.”

Castiel tucked his tail between his legs and attempted to be as unthreatening as possible. 

“Thanks, Ellen … I’m pretty sure I noticed that. Look … I’ve met him a couple times on the way to Sam’s. He’s not mean, I swear!”

The shotgun didn’t budge, but the woman … _Ellen’s_ eyes darted over to Dean. For the first time Castiel realized that he was just a scant two feet away from the man he had been recently obsessing over. This was the closest they had ever been. Forcing his gaze away from the imminent danger, Castiel turned to face Dean. The human smelled freshly showered and clean. His eyes were bright and clear, and so very stunningly green. 

Castiel took a subconscious step closer to Dean and the young girl in the doorway gasped. The shock of it startled Ellen and the shotgun fired. Fortunately, she had already been dropping the barrels towards the ground. Unfortunately, the spray of pellets was still wide enough that several of the little metal balls slammed into Castiel’s flank and imbedded into his flesh. 

He yelped in shock and pain. 

“FUCK! ELLEN!”

Castiel staggered sideways and didn’t even notice that Dean had dropped to his knees until he bumped right into the man’s solid weight. 

“Dean! Don’t touch it! Get away!”

A tentative hand gently laid itself on the top of Castiel’s head. He pushed into the touch, his muzzle turned to rub against Dean’s forearm. A silly temptation pecked at his brain, and he gave into it … licking a warm stripe across the human’s skin. He tasted amazing. Like bread and butter and happiness and home. 

Castiel whined low in his throat. Partly from the pain, but partly from the flavor of Dean spreading across his tongue. 

“Good boy. Good boy.”

Castiel opened his eyes and was met directly by the piercing green gaze. A flash of warmth flared deep in his belly and he suddenly realized … he loved this man. He desperately, ridiculously _loved_ this human being with everything he had left to give. _Which wasn’t much, to tell the truth._

“SIR!!”

A new voice erupted in the silence and Castiel cocked his head sideways to catch a glimpse. He immediately wished he hadn’t. Animal Control. There was an officer standing not ten feet away with a tranquilizer gun pointed directly at him. 

“SIR!! Please step away from the animal!”

Castiel was tempted to growl at the young blond girl in the doorway of the bar. He was pretty sure she had been the one to call Animal Control. Strong arms suddenly wrapped themselves around his neck and Castiel startled a bit. Dean was holding him tight to his chest, and for a second Castiel wanted to scold the man. If he had been a _‘real’_ wolf… Dean would have been taking his life into his hands with that move. 

“It’s okay! It’s okay! He’s mine! He’s not wild, I promise! He’s mine!”

The fluttering deep in Castiel’s belly erupted ten fold at those words. He closed his eyes and savored the warmth they created in his heart, allowing that to slip the pain off and away. He barely registered the words that followed, and didn’t even notice the soft _‘whuff’_ of air as the tranq-gun fired and the dart impacted with his flesh. 

All Castiel could hear were Dean’s words repeated in his mind, and think … _‘He wants me. Dean wants me. I’m his.’_ The world fell away … and Castiel couldn’t even be bothered to care. 

****

The sharp scent of antiseptic and the cold bite of metal were the first things Castiel noticed as he slowly regained consciousness. Then dozens upon dozens of smells and sounds hit him like a freight train. People and animals and blood and medicine and pain. All around and suffocating. When he finally convinced his eyes to open he was exactly where he thought he would be. Castiel appreciated the ASPCA just as much as any animal who was injured or abused or lost surely must, they were just insanely difficult to sneak out of. 

A quick inventory revealed his flank cleaned and stitched. His leg was also shaved and bandaged, an obvious sign of fluids being supplied through an IV. He breathed in a deep sigh and chuffed it out into the silence of the darkened room. The few overhead fluorescent lights that remained on were glinting bright little sparks off the bars of the cage that kept him. It was obviously the middle of the night, and without much else to do nor the energy to do it, Castiel let himself fall back into a restless sleep. 

The next thing he knew voices were raised somewhere nearby and the deep, earthy bread and butter smell of Dean was pulling him quickly from his slumber. Castiel roused himself from his post-anesthetic drowsiness and awkwardly shifted to his feet. He ignored the twinge of pain in his flank as he perked his ears towards the doors at the far end of the room where Dean’s voice was growing closer. 

“… please, he won’t hurt anyone … why won’t you just let me take him home?”

“Mr. Winchester, you have to understand that this is a wild animal. Regardless of your attachment he needs to be in his own environment. It’s not safe for him, nor the people around him, for a full grown timber wolf to be allowed to remain within city limits.”

“But he was obviously raised by people. He’s domesticated.”

The voice of the woman currently arguing with Dean was warm and clearly trying to be as sympathetic and understanding as possible. Castiel tried to dislike her, but it was obvious from her career choice and her dulcet tone that the woman genuinely loved animals. He couldn’t begrudge her concern. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Winchester. I only allowed you back here to give you the chance to say goodbye, but in the morning he’s going to be moved to a Timber Wolf Sanctuary for the remainder of his recovery and rehabilitation.”

There was silence for several seconds on the other side of the doors, and Castiel felt his spirits sinking. He didn’t have much time to plot his escape and regain his freedom … but that didn’t seem as important as the need for Dean to walk through those doors. 

Finally the swinging doors swayed opened and a very morose looking Dean strolled into the room. Castiel’s tail immediately began to wag with enthusiasm. The man looked tired and threadbare, but absolutely gorgeous to Castiel’s eyes. As soon as his human eyes locked to Castiel’s a brilliant smile alighted his handsome face. Castiel chuffed in greeting. 

“Hey, boy!”

Dean reached the cage and patted the bars with uncertainty. 

“Mr. Winchester, please don’t put your fingers in the cage. This is a wild animal and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Not even turning back to look at the woman, Dean rolled his eyes at the exact moment Castiel released an annoyed huff of air. Dean chuckled under his breath at their shared reaction, but very obviously did not try to reach inside the cage. Disappointment burned in Castiel’s belly. He wanted another chance to feel those warm hands and taste the salty sweetness of the man’s skin. 

Taking a couple cautious steps forward, Castiel jammed his muzzle between two of the cool metal bars and whined in the most pathetic way he could muster. The smile slipped from Dean’s face and the hand not currently resting on the top of the cage slowly moved to within an inch of Castiel’s nose.  
Quick as he could, Castiel shot out his tongue and licked a long stripe up the length of Dean’s palm. A burst of spice and health and man exploded across his taste buds and for the first time in years … Castiel _wanted._

_He wanted so, so badly._

Dean’s other hand came down to scratch lightly along the bridge of Castiel’s muzzle as he continued to frantically lick the first. There was a sigh of disapproval from the doorway, but both man and wolf ignored it. 

“You’re such a smart boy, aren’t you?”

Castiel’s tail disobediently swished faster with the words, while internally he wished for a way to communicate _‘duh’_ to the man before him. Of course … Dean only knew him as a wolf. Only figured him to have lupine thoughts and emotions. 

Castiel was going to do everything in his power to strip those notions right out of Dean’s mind. 

As soon as he figured out how to get out of here. 

“Mr. Winchester, I have to ask you to leave now.”

Dean pulled his hands away and stepped back from the cage. Castiel whined deep in his throat. 

“Yeah.”

His voice was broken and hushed, and Castiel’s tail tucked instantly between his legs at the sad sound of it. He whined again, as forlornly has possible, trying to convey all his feelings to Dean. 

_I love you and I need you and I’m going to find my way back to you no matter what._

Dean surreptitiously wiped his eyes with the back of his hands, and Castiel wondered if on some level… Dean had understood him. If maybe Dean was as desperate for that connection as he was. To belong to someone. To have someone belong to you. 

“Yeah, okay. Bye, boy. Be careful out there. Work on those hunting skills a little.”

Slowly, Dean turned away towards the doors and began to walk. Castiel yipped out a small frantic noise, trying to get the man to turn back, but Dean only hunched his shoulders and slammed out the doors. The woman doctor sighed and turned sad eyes to Castiel. She shook her head and left the room as well. 

Dragging up every mournful and wretched emotion Castiel could remember from his years of solitude, he did something he hadn’t done since the last time he ran with his pack. 

He threw back his head … and he _howled._

****

In the end, it was a lot easier than it should have been. 

There had been a pretty big production of loading his crate into the back of a non-descript van belonging to the wolf sanctuary. Dozens of people had gathered around to assist or observe. There was even a television crew from a local news station. Apparently finding a Timber Wolf in the middle of a fairly urban city was news worthy. _Go figure._

Castiel paid attention to every word spoken and every detail of the transfer. The sanctuary seemed to be quite a distance away and the driver mentioned needing to refuel the van before _‘hitting the highway’_. As soon as the vehicle set in motion, Castiel began working on the slide lock of his crate. His wolf tongue was long and dexterous enough to push and pull it free of it’s latched state. He’d just managed it when the van pulled into a gas station and the driver went to fill the tank. 

Castiel eased silently out of the crate and worked his way to the cab. Peaking carefully out the side window, he watched the driver hook the nozzle up to the gas tank and set it to fill, then turn and make his way towards the door of the convenience store. Castiel slid his narrow body between the two seats and was pleasantly surprised to discover the driver’s side window rolled down all the way. 

Expelling a huff of air that was the lupine equivalent of a chuckle, Castiel stuck his head out the open portal to check the coast was clear before gingerly hopping through the window and landing on his three good legs. A shock of pain splintered up his flank upon touch down, but he clamped down his jaws tight and held back a yelp. Edging close to the side of the van, Castiel eyed the edge of a wooded area just beyond the parking lot of the gas station. 

Edging forward cautiously, he could hear the driver slowly trundling his way back towards the pumps. Castiel ducked his head down until he could make out the man’s booted feet. He watched as they moved from the side of the van and began to circle around towards the driver’s door. Scrambling in the opposite direction to keep out of sight, he waited until he could hear the door of the van slam closed before he took off at the highest speed he could manage towards the safety of the trees. 

Only when the van rumbled away in the silence of the morning, with no one shouting or calling out, did Castiel let himself relax in the cover of the woods. He was safe. Now he just had to get back to Dean. 

****

With his miserable, wounded state it took Castiel two days to find his way back to the scrap yard Dean called home. He’d had to work extra diligently at keeping out of sight, and there was one close call with an officer patrolling a gated community he’d had to cut through, but finally there was a familiar tang of rusted metal teasing his senses. 

The woods that backed the yard were damp with a recent downpour and Castiel gratefully lapped at the rainwater clinging to the plants that grew at the edge of the chain link fence. It was the middle of the night and the lights of Dean’s small airstream were out. Castiel nosed at the latch on the gate until popped open. Slipping silently through he trotted amidst the maze of rusted cars and scrap metal. 

The silver trailer greeted him with a gleaming reflection of the moon high above in the sky. Everything was blanketed in heavy silence of night around him. Castiel hunched down and crawled beneath the trailer and curled up in the warm, dry earth. He wasn’t sure if Dean was home, or at Sammy’s, or working at the bar with Ellen and Jo. He would just have to wait it out. 

A loud slam of a door jerked Castiel awake. For a brief second he was totally disoriented, but then some worn out sneakers trotted down the steps and the familiar smell of Dean floated towards him. Castiel kept perfectly still and silent as he watched his favorite human move away from him, familiar ruby red hoodie bright in the early morning gray. 

The customary backpack on his shoulders, Dean disappeared around a stack of rusted metal and soon the sound of the gate closing echoed across the yard. Castiel scooted out from under the trailer and yawned widely as he stretched out his legs and back. There was a twinge of pain from the healing wounds caused by the buckshot, but it was easily ignored. 

Stepping carefully up the rickety steps to Dean’s home, Castiel worked the latch of the door with his tongue and teeth until it finally gave and popped open. Apparently Dean didn’t have anything inside he considered worth burglary. Near pitch black darkness greeted him upon his entrance. The curtains were all drawn over the very few windows, blacking out the emerging sunlight. 

It was tiny in every possible way. A barely-enough-to-qualify-it-as-such kitchen right inside the door, with a tiny table attached to the wall and one chair. At the back end of the trailer he could see a double bed that touched nearly wall to wall of the airstream, a scant number of clothes hung along one wall on cheap plastic hangers. There was a minuscule fridge and microwave on the counter of the _‘kitchen’_ , alongside a little sink and double burner stove. 

A rich scent of soap lingered in the air, and when Castiel nosed open the only door in the entire trailer he found bathroom that could masquerade as a closet. It was one of those _‘I’m a shower! No! I’m a toilet! No! I’m a sink!’_ numbers, and he was surprised a man of Dean’s size could even fit inside let alone use it. A damp towel hung off a small hook on the door. Castiel buried his nose deep into it’s folds and breathed in Dean. 

It was all perfect. 

Small, shabby, and teetering on the edge of poverty … but it was all Dean … and therefore _perfect_. 

Castiel carefully lifted himself until he was balanced on his hind legs, and propped his front paws up on the tiny sink before him. There was a small, dingy mirror still a little foggy from Dean’s shower, but it was clear enough for Castiel to get a good look at himself. He hadn’t peered into a mirror in longer than he could remember, and likely _never_ while in his shifted form. 

The massive head of a white Timber Wolf gazed back at him. Piercing blue eyes standing out in the muted light of the bathroom. Taking a deep breath and holding it heavy in his lungs, Castiel asked his body to shift. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had taken true form, but the body didn’t forget. Excruciatingly slowly he felt his limbs lengthen and thicken, his fur fade away, and his bones move within his skin. 

After several moments his true form was staring back at him from the mirror. Near-black hair tangled and matted. Full growth of a scruffy beard obscuring most of his features. Castiel released the breath he’d been holding and reached his hands up to the ceiling to pop the ache in his spine. He licked his lips twice, tracking the movement in the reflection. Clearing his throat and swallowing roughly, he tested his voice. 

“Dean Winchester.”

His long silent vocal chords were scratchy and cracked … but still there. Castiel grinned slightly at himself, then turned away from the mirror. 

After a quick hunt through the trailer for a pair of scissors and a razor, and a blissfully long hot shower, Castiel found a threadbare pair of gray sweatpants and tugged them over his narrow hips. He picked through the cabinets of the kitchen for a few minutes before settling on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

There wasn’t much else to choose from. 

Once his hunger was assuaged and his body cleansed, the weariness from his long overdue transformation began to drag down his eyelids. Castiel cleaned up after himself and then crawled across the bed to settle down in the middle. Dean’s scent was strongest on the pillows and Castiel breathed it in deeply. Before allowing himself to drift off in slumber, he checked the small wounds that ran the length of his flank and thigh. They were still red and tender, but healing nicely. 

A sudden yawn cracked his jaw, so he stretched long and full from fingertips to toes, then willingly lost his battle for consciousness. 

****

He dimly remembered waking sometime after dark to relieve himself, but quickly returned to the warm cocoon of Dean’s bed. After the week he’d had, Castiel really wasn’t surprised that he ended up sleeping for nearly twenty-four hours. He was _just_ beginning to drift towards wakefulness when the clang of the metal gated echoed through the yard outside. Instantly he was slammed into alertness. There was barely enough time for him to shuck off the sweats and shift back into his wolf form before the shuffle of Dean’s feet could be heard coming up the steps. 

Sitting properly on his back haunches with head held high in the middle of the bed, it only took a second for Dean to spot him when he trundled into the trailer. The man froze and his eyes widened to comic proportions. Castiel flicked an ear to the side quickly before righting it again. He didn’t wag his tail or give his customary chuff of a greeting, instead simply stared intently at the human in the doorway. 

Dean finally stepped fully into the small trailer and dropped his bag on the floor. The man gulped so quickly his throat clicked. 

“H-hey boy … how the … how the hell are you here?”

Dean glanced behind himself, and then around the trailer. 

“How did you get in? The door was shut. How did you know where I lived?”

Castiel hopped down slowly from the bed and moved toward the man. Dean backed up as far as he could, accidentally bumping into the door and slamming it shut behind him. As if realizing that he’d just effectively locked himself into a small, enclosed space with a wild animal, his heartbeat began to hammer frantically within his chest. Castiel could pick it up easily even from this distance away. 

When he was within a couple feet from Dean, the man had plastered himself up against the door. Castiel slowly reached out with his muzzle and licked a small stripe across the back of Dean’s hand. The burst of salt and soap flavor made Castiel near giddy with happiness. 

“I’m … I’m feeling a little freaked out here, boy. Like maybe I should be saying something along the lines of _‘what big teeth you have’_ or some shit.” 

Castiel chuffed in amusement and Dean’s eyes became impossibly wider. 

“You … you understood me. Just then. You _understood_ me, didn’t you?”

Castiel tilted his head slightly to the side in a lupine version of a shrug. Dean sucked in a shocked breath and slid down the door to land heavily on his rear. 

“What … what _are_ you?”

Cautiously shuffling closer to Dean, Castiel butted his head softly to the man’s chest and gently nuzzled against the worn red hoodie. Dean’s hands came up ever so slowly to barely grip the sides of Castiel’s head. When Castiel lifted from his slight bow to meet Dean’s gaze they were mere inches apart. Castiel flicked his tongue out again, this time across the stubbled texture of Dean’s chin. He willed Dean to understand. 

The fear slowly bled out of the bright green eyes before him and Castiel sighed. Dean nodded his head and whispered into the silence of the trailer. 

“I get it. I understand. You don’t want me to freak out, right?”

Wagging his tail once in confirmation, Castiel extricated himself from Dean’s hold and backed up a couple paces. Warring with his nerves, he took a deep breath and willed his body to transform. As he felt his shift taking shape, he could hear Dean cursing softly under his breath, but the other man didn’t move. He didn’t even scream or try and get away. 

Finally, Castiel found himself in his true form kneeling naked as the day he was born before Dean Winchester. When he gained the courage to raise his eyes, he was rewarded with a slack-jawed (but not panicked) look of utter astonishment. 

“Dean.”

The man started at the sound of Castiel’s voice, but the fear that Castiel had been expecting still wasn’t there. He took the chance and scooted closer until he was between Dean’s splayed legs and gripping the man’s pants at the knees. 

“Dean?”

Those startlingly green eyes were completely focused on Castiel’s face, the mouth beneath them still hanging open in shock. With his human sight returned to him, Castiel resolutely acknowledged to himself that Dean was just as beautiful as he’d believed. 

There was a subtle shift of movement, and then Dean’s hand was slowly raising towards Castiel’s face. His warm fingertips just barely ghosted over Castiel’s cheekbone. He felt the touch all the way down deep in his belly. 

“What… what…”

Castiel took pity on the man and leaned a little into the touch as he spoke. 

“My name is Castiel. I’m a shifter. There are many kinds of us in the world. My family chose the form of the wolf. Have you … ever heard of anything like us?”

Dean shook his head without much focus. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his fingers were now tracking the features of Castiel’s face. 

“You mean … like a werewolf?”

Castiel chuffed in annoyance, and then blushed when he realized what he’d done. He had been in his wolf form for so long that it came as second nature. A small grin quirked at the corner of Dean’s lips. As if, he too, found it humorous. Castiel licked his chapped lips once before he continued. 

“No. Not really. Werewolves are sort of a romanticized distortion of what we are. Less frightening to think of a monster that comes out only on the full moon, and only because he was bitten by another… than to think of entire packs of shifters living around you in your towns and villages.”

Dean’s hand finally fell away to land in his own lap, and Castiel mourned it’s loss. He scooted an inch closer to Dean’s warmth, resolutely ignoring the fact he was still naked. Dean’s gaze flicked down quickly, as if he just realized this fact himself, but he didn’t attempt to move away. 

“So … why are you here? I mean … were is your … pack?”

A deep spike of pain wrenched itself through Castiel’s heart. 

“I don’t … I don’t have one. Not any more.”

The lovely green eyes before him shuttered for a second with some repressed emotion. From what Castiel had garnered from his observation of Dean’s life to this point, he figured Dean considered himself without a pack as well. Just his Sammy. 

“What happened to them?”

Castiel sighed and dropped his gaze to eye his fingers, absently picking at the threadbare cloth covering Dean’s knee. This felt way too important a moment to lie to Dean. This felt too much like the start of something wonderful to begin it with untruths. 

“They … disowned me. Ran me off. Tried to … well … only my brother accepted me and took care of me. Then he … but he’s gone, now, too.”

His words didn’t sound right to his ears as he stumbled along, but he didn’t want to hide his past from this very important person. 

“I like … I like your Sammy.”

Castiel raised his eyes to Dean and tried to smile as honestly as he could manage. 

“My brother would have liked him a _great_ deal, I think.”

Dean nodded, but didn’t speak. His eyes were glassy and a little sad as he reached his hand upwards one more time to run it over the crown of Castiel’s head in a strange sort of pet. 

“Why did you come _here_ , of all places?”

Castiel shrugged and turned away towards the tiny kitchen. 

“To be honest, I was just wandering without a destination. I think subconsciously…. I was looking for a place to …”

It felt a little like sacrilege to finish that morbid thought while he felt so at peace in the tiny trailer with the man before him. Dean’s hand gripped the back of Castiel’s neck firmly for a brief second, so he figured the other man understood what he meant to say, regardless. 

“You don’t have any place else to go?”

The words were spoken so softly that Castiel almost had to strain to hear them, but he shook his head in acknowledgement. 

“Okay then.”

Startled, Castiel snapped his gaze back to Dean’s. He tilted his head in a silent question, but Dean only shrugged. 

“I mean, if you want … you can stay here.”

Castiel could feel the surprise flashing across his own features. He tried to tamp down his instant excitement, because he had to make absolute sure that he understood exactly what Dean was suggesting. 

“With you? And Sammy?”

Dean chuckled under his breath.

“Yeah. With us. I can’t wait to see his _face_.”

Castiel returned Dean’s grin, although he was sure that his own wasn’t near as brilliant and open as the other man’s. Fear and uncertainty were knocking at the edges of his thoughts, though. Telling him this was entirely too easy, when nothing in his life ever really was. He could feel the corners of his mouth drop down, and was slightly startled when Dean’s finger touched the edge of his lips softly. 

“What’s the matter?”

Castiel dropped his gaze to stare at the red hoodie that had first caught his eye so many days ago. 

“You’re … you’re taking this all very … well.”

Dean chuckled sweet and smooth, deep in his throat. 

“Trust me… I’m freaking the fuck out inside.”

Guilt tripped across Castiel’s gut like a livewire and he moved to pull away from Dean, but a warm hand snatched his wrist before he managed more than a couple inches. 

“I _dunno_ , Cas …. It’s just like … I _knew_ there was something different about you. Just like I knew you would never hurt me … and it’s all kinda … _familiar_ … somehow.”

Hesitantly, he returned his eyes to Dean’s. There was an open honesty glittering in the sea-green beauties that reminded him strikingly of Gabriel, his brother, for just a second. A trickster and prank-puller he might have been, but Gabriel had always kept Castiel’s well-being forefront in their relationship. Even when acting the fool, he protected and defended Castiel’s right to be true to his heart. 

Fancied himself the perfect older brother. Often times out loud. To the entire pack. 

Dean broke away from their shared gaze to focus on a spot somewhere over Castiel’s shoulder. His voice was sinful and honey thick when he dropped it into a low whisper. 

“I used to have these dreams…”

Castiel had the strongest urge to perk his wolf ears up to attention, but settled instead for sucking his bottom lip between his teeth and absently chewing on it as he gave Dean his full attention. 

“… I would see wolves.”

He would swear later that his heart skipped a beat when Dean spoke those words. It had already done a little tap dance of glee at Dean’s shortening of his name a moment before, but these words had it full out stuttering. 

“Just… in whatever random dream I was having, you know? A regular dumb dream, and then a wolf would pop up, sometimes several, and just follow me around. I never really interacted with them. They were just there. Sometimes, I’d be having a pretty fucked up nightmare … and a wolf or two would appear … and the nightmare would go away. Does that even … does that even make any _sense_ to you?”

Castiel shook his head slowly in response, but his heart was still pitter-pattering a hellacious beat inside his chest. He licked his lips and considered his words carefully before he spoke. 

“No … but it seems … highly _unusual_ to be passed off as nothing, doesn’t it?”

Dean nodded and pulled his lips between his teeth until they disappeared, leaving his mouth a hard line. He released them with a sharp smacking noise and shrugged one shoulder in response. 

“Maybe. Might explain why finding a wolf in my home that turned into a naked man before my eyes didn’t send me off to a midnight trip on the crazy train.”

A stumbling chuckle burst from between Castiel’s lips quite unplanned. Dean answered with a wide grin, curving _just_ to this side of a smirk, and Castiel had to respond in kind. Although with less smirk and more genuine amusement. 

“Whatever it means, Dean … we’ll figure it out. Our paths crossed for a reason. I know it. I was so strongly drawn to you, and you have been so easily trusting of me. We were fated to meet this way… I believe it with my whole heart.”

And maybe, just _maybe_ … Gabriel was still looking out for him somewhere. 

Dean’s grin never dropped from his face as he raised an arm up and scratched softly behind Castiel’s all-too-human ears. 

“Sounds good to me, Cas.”

Uncontrollable, bubbly happiness was singing its way through Castiel’s very nerves themselves. He launched himself at Dean suddenly. Wrapped his arms snug around the man’s back and jammed his face into the crook of his neck, head cushioned softly by the well-used red hoodie. He breathed in deeply against the other man’s skin, then chuffed out a happy sound, and Dean laughed out loud for a moment. 

“Come on, Cas. Get up. Let’s find you some clothes.”

If he still had his tail, Castiel knew it would be wagging uncontrollably. He darted his tongue out to lick at the curve of Dean’s neck, then nibbled playfully up the attractively sculpted jaw line. Dean snorted in amusement, but his heartbeat also ratcheted up a notch, which made Castiel very happy indeed. A strange, unbidden notion of swallowing Dean whole so that Castiel could keep him safe and warm in his belly forever flit briefly through his mind. He dismissed it as a strange wolf-rambling. 

He allowed Dean to man-handle him around the trailer, cussing, nagging and fretting as he did so. But Castiel didn’t mind. He did not mind it at all. 

Because he was going to have a _pack_ again. 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> I haz Tumblr!!! Come say hi! :) [HERE](http://bunnymaccool.tumblr.com/)


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